Music Makes Magic in this Rollicking Rhythm RPG

The Metronomicon: Slay the Dance Floor is what happens when a dance party breaks out in the middle of a turn-based role-playing game.

In Puuba’sThe Metronomicon, released last year on Steam and this week on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, a party of newly-graduated students of the “rhythmic combat arts” sets off in search of adventure.

The roles the character play in their party are role-playing standards—healer, tank, wizard and damage-dealer. How they perform those roles? That’s something completely different.

Rather than wait their turn and select attacks from a menu, The Metronomicon’s heroes cast spells and activate abilities by completing rhythm sequences in lanes that scroll over their heads while a variety of licensed electronic and indie rock tracks play. Creatures appear on the right side of the screen while the music plays, new ones swapping in as others are felled. Players must swap between tracks on-the-fly in order to juggling healing, damage and buffs. As characters level they gain more powerful abilities, which require longer runs on their track to activate.

It’s a very novel approached to rhythm-based combat, reminiscent of the track-hopping mechanic of rhythm games like Harmonix’ Frequency. Check it out in action in the video below.

The Metronomicon features an extensive story mode with plenty of equipment to unlock, skills to master and an excellent soundtrack featuring songs from Jimmy Urine of Mindless Self Indulgence, Shiny Toy Guns, Yacht, Perturbator, J-Punch, DJ Cutman and more. There’s also a free play mode for folks who just want to jam alone or with a friend.

The Metronomicon is now available on PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. It puts the “party” in “adventuring party.” Sorry.